In the late 60s. and 70s Hionis Photo Studios was a household name amongst Melbourne’s large Greek population. In the late 90s, when Con’s father passed away, Con felt an urge to take up photography again. He started to experiment with different techniques and in 2001 finally arrived at a formula that clearly demonstrates his love of symmetry, attention to detail and fascination with cities. This is when his Melbourne series was born. Regularly taking photographs of the inner city Con has developed a keen interest in the transformation of Melbourne over the past ten years. Not only did the detail of the older architecture entice, but also the new sharper, cutting-edge and symmetrical architecture evolved.
In addition to the use of colours and different materials in the buildings, against the city’s night-lights, photographing the city digitally was very motivating. Con finds the excitement in not knowing exactly what he has photographed until it presents on the screen.
When he picked up his camera to shoot his first panoramic montage in 2000, he shot through an entire roll of film whilst visiting his mother’s village in Ithaca, Greece and completed the panorama on his return. Seeing the results – it all began! Returning to Greece in 2005, he shot 11 panoramas, stitched them seamlessly and they are proudly displayed in the family holiday home. Since then, panoramas have become his passion.
Con Hionis lives and works in Melbourne.. His first book, Melbourne Symmetry was published in 2008. Con’s work has been published several times in Panobook, an international journal showcasing the best panoramic images from around the world. His distinctive images have also been awarded Silver and Bronze at PanoAwards.
Sydney360 featured in Digital Photography, Volume 29, January 2013.
Sydney360 Melbourne Symmetry
Melbourne Scapes – Obscura Gallery